Thanks to our guide and tester Klaus Cosmo Frieser, in addition to river trips in leisurely flowing streams, we were also able to venture into the supreme discipline of flowing waters: white water.
White water (WW), like windsurfing, is reserved for a small but not unimportant group of surfers. In white water, the boards are required to have specific characteristics (shape, material) due to the fast-flowing water, the currents and, above all, the nature of the riverbed. Only a few river boards are available on the European market. Only Imagine (Rapid Fire) and the inflatable River Cruiser from C4 offer boards designed purely for the river. However, Naish and C4 will both be launching special inflatable whitewater boards this summer. Unfortunately, neither board was available at the time of testing. We are curious to see what else is coming (folding fins etc.).
The good news is that any stable all-round board is suitable for tame water. However, if the river becomes shallow and rocky, it is advisable to fit a small thruster fin or choose a board that is equipped with small plastic fins, such as the Starboard Whopper. Inflatable boards are fitted with small, welded-in plastic fins anyway. As long as the river bed is deep and the water is not flowing heavily and fast (see photo right), any all-round board can be used. In white water (especially at low water) the material is important. The boards must have at least one soft layer. Even better are ASA skins like the Bic, the robust, inflatable board types (C4) or the indestructible polyethylene (Robson and Imagine). Pure whitewater boards are extremely stable against tipping (wide and short) and have bulging kayak edges, which means they are not sensitive to top water, i.e. when travelling against the current (traverses, see riding technique on page 74), the edge of the current can hold top water better and is less likely to cut.
The test results for the 6 SUP boards are available below as a PDF download:
BIC 10'4" ACS
C4 Waterman 10'9" XXL
C4 Waterman 12'6" River Cruiser
Imagine Rapid Fire
Robson Kane 9'9"
Starboard Whopper 10'0"
Robson Kane is indestructible and suitable for light rivers with lower water levels.
Starboard Whopper, an all-rounder that can be used in light rivers with shallow water levels.
Even 3+ drops, like here in the Rissbach, are rideable with the Imagine Rapide Fire.
